Gay Rights Activist Murdered By Roommate

A Florida man is facing murder charges after the death of his roommate, a well-connected gay rights activist who had a soft spot for those in recovery. The activist allowed the former prisoner to live in his apartment. The former prisoner is accused of murdering him and dumping his body. It remains unclear what, if any, motive there was for the slaying.

The suspect has a long rap sheet and was arrested on unrelated charges after the activist went missing. The suspect was released from prison in October. The activist was last seen alive on January 3rd. His body was eventually discovered in a landfill on January 8.

Police believe that the suspect strangled the activist and dumped his body in the trash. The body was then taken to the landfill where it was found. An associate of the activist said that he and the suspect had not been getting along and he planned on asking him to move out. The activist knew the man from a recovery group and agreed to take him in. The activist was separated from his husband at the time of the murder, but the two kept in touch.

What evidence do the police have? 

It’s not entirely clear. The police believe that the activist was killed in his apartment by the suspect, then wrapped in bed linens and thrown in the trash. The body was not discovered until after it had been dumped in a landfill. Police likely executed a search warrant of the apartment and discovered signs of a struggle, blood evidence, or foul play. The official cause of death appears to be strangulation.

Strangulation deaths are common. A person loses consciousness in under a minute and sometimes as few as 10 seconds. After that period, they are entirely at the mercy of the attacker. It takes around 5 minutes worth of strangling to induce death. Almost all strangulation attempts involve some form of blunt force trauma (97%) that occurred prior to the strangulation.

Right now, the official story is that the victim wanted the suspect out of the apartment and the suspect attacked the victim because he had no place else to go. This set off a crime spree that involved the theft of a vehicle and the use of a stolen credit card. The suspect was arrested on those charges. At the same time, his roommate had been reported missing. The police retraced the issue back to the suspect.

Defense attorneys will attempt to introduce evidence that the activist had problems with other people too and they could have just as easily committed the murder. However, this suspect will not be given the benefit of the doubt by the jury due to extensive criminal history and the defense will need a sound theory as to how the murder occurred that does not involve their client.

Talk to a Tallahassee Criminal Defense Attorney 

If you are facing charges, call the Tallahassee criminal lawyers at Luke Newman, P.A. today to schedule an appointment and discuss your case with an experienced professional.

Resource:

miami.cbslocal.com/2022/04/20/florida-man-steven-yinger-indicted-murder-jorge-diaz-johnston/